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What the ISO 27001 standard can do for your business

When it comes down to having concrete evidence of a company’s seriousness regarding information security, options are scarce. One of those options is to adopt the ISO 27001 security standard.

ISO 27001 is the go-to information security standard, regarding more specifically compliance issues. The standard is made of a series of clauses and annex controls that guide you through information security best practices. Some companies see those clauses as simple guidelines, but others go a bit further toward certification.

Why would your company want to get certified?

  • Increase your competitiveness in a crowded market: More than ever, data is everything. Customers are looking to make sure their providers are safeguarding that data. ISO 27001 definitely helps you show that your organization takes security seriously.
  • Ensure your compliance with internationally recognized security standards: As explained previously, the ISO standard offers among the best recommendations in the cybersecurity industry and being compliant to them ensures that you have a strong information security foundation.
  • Ensure accountability for meeting your security goals: Getting ISO 27001 certified comes down to documenting your security controls and meeting your objectives. The certification process is an excellent way for the management team to keep the operational teams accountable of meeting the aforementioned objectives.

The bottom-line regarding ISO 27001 is very simple; it all comes down to documenting your security policies and having the artifacts to prove that your organization complies with the standard’s prerequisites.

The advantages of the ISO approach reside in the multiple areas that it affects. Assessing areas such as supplier relationships, human resources security and system acquisition are things rarely seen with other frameworks. On top of that, a mature company will have most of those areas already in place. Implementing the ISO 27001 standard therefore becomes the next logical step.

Where does your ISO 27001 journey start?

The ISO endeavor starts at the highest corporate level, i.e. senior management. The entire process requires thoroughness and is time consuming. It is therefore necessary to ensure that every member of the company has the appropriate support from the management team.

The first step is to ensure that the company has the proper policies and security guidelines that map out to the ISO 27001 requirements. Of course, all these policies must be implemented in daily operations. The alignment between policies and operations will be the focus of the auditor during the certification audit.

The support services of a partner familiar with the requirements of the standard will allow you to structure your approach with an implementation plan that respects your deadlines in order to achieve your ultimate goal, which is to improve your cybersecurity and to be able to demonstrate it to your customers and partners.

Aziz Touré
Security Specialist, ESI Technologies